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Unregistered 05:56 AM 01-17-2017
I have a 7 mo dcg who came to me two months ago. Mom is young and dad is in the picture. Mom is a friend to my son. Baby is TINY. Mom has stated that doctor has made plenty of statements about baby not gaining weight. When baby first started coming to me mom would send a can of formula with her and I would feed her on demand. Recently mom has been sending formula with only enough in the can for one bottle. It annoyed me but I continued to feed her on demand using the same formula (my grandchildren are on the same so I have a TON of extra). Now mom tells me that she only wants baby to be fed one 4 oz bottle of formula in the AM and one at bedtime and she will administer them. While here (from 6:15 am to 3:30 pm) she is to have juice and baby food only This paired with the overwhelming stench of dog and cat that this baby has on her clothes, blankets and carrier makes my stomach hurt-because I worry the baby might need some intervention, and I'm hoping I'm not right. Someone tell me that I don't need to call CPS. I feel sad Maybe I'm wrong. I am open to input and suggestions
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Blackcat31 06:13 AM 01-17-2017
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I have a 7 mo dcg who came to me two months ago. Mom is young and dad is in the picture. Mom is a friend to my son. Baby is TINY. Mom has stated that doctor has made plenty of statements about baby not gaining weight. When baby first started coming to me mom would send a can of formula with her and I would feed her on demand. Recently mom has been sending formula with only enough in the can for one bottle. It annoyed me but I continued to feed her on demand using the same formula (my grandchildren are on the same so I have a TON of extra). Now mom tells me that she only wants baby to be fed one 4 oz bottle of formula in the AM and one at bedtime and she will administer them. While here (from 6:15 am to 3:30 pm) she is to have juice and baby food only This paired with the overwhelming stench of dog and cat that this baby has on her clothes, blankets and carrier makes my stomach hurt-because I worry the baby might need some intervention, and I'm hoping I'm not right. Someone tell me that I don't need to call CPS. I feel sad Maybe I'm wrong. I am open to input and suggestions
I think you need to put your foot down and refuse care for the infant unless they bring the PROPER amount of food AND formula for the day.

If DCM "claims" the Dr said X, require a note from the Dr outlining EXACTLY what he/she supposedly said.

Do not just take moms word for it.
She may know better and she may not, I don't know their situation but sometimes the restriction of formula is due ot costs... is the family on WIC? If not, refer her to your area WIC offices which can help her with feeding baby properly.

Sometimes it's parents taking the WIC supplied formula and selling it for cash for supporting a drug or alcohol problem.

Like I said, I don't know their situation but you need to trust your instincts and if the situation doesn't seem "right" you need to call CPS. That does not mean you will automatically be outed as the caller....it just means the county/state is aware the family MAY need some intervention, help and/or support in caring for baby.

I urge you to talk with mom/dad and get a feel for the situation and then decide if a call is warranted. If the parents are just in need if resources and information on how to obtain or access those resources; you'll be lending a hand up. If baby needs intervention on her behalf, then a call to CPS is the right way to go. They (CPS) will decide what the next steps are.

Good luck and trust your instincts.... this little one needs something (extra family help or CPS) and really you are the only one that can decide if calling is necessary or not.


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Conoad 09:18 AM 01-17-2017
If you've had the thought, make the call. Let the investigator sort it out. Listen to your instincts.
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daycarediva 09:58 AM 01-17-2017
Infants are state mandated to be fed on demand. I would require a full can of formula to be left at your house, then explain to dcm that infants need formula to grow/develop normally. That 2 4oz bottles is WAY too much (Honestly, not even enough when she is at your home).

I would refuse to give her juice- just sugar/empty calories and are bad for teeth (I would tell the mom this).

ANYTHING aside from formula on demand, table/baby food would require a pediatrician's note.

and if she doesn't IMMEDIATELY make changes, I would call cps.

How tiny is tiny? Like born small, staying low on the growth chart? Are her pediatrician visits current?
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heyy'all 10:49 AM 01-17-2017
A 7-month-old still needs around 20oz of formula a day. Poor little girl!
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Leigh 11:43 AM 01-17-2017
She obviously has been informed of what her child NEEDS. She's refusing to provide it. I probably would make the report. I'd include in the report that Mom said that the doctor HAS informed her of the child's need to gain weight, and that she's STILL choosing to underfeed the child. I'd direct CPS to the child's pediatrician, so that they can discuss with the doctor during their investigation.
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mommyneedsadayoff 11:50 AM 01-17-2017
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I have a 7 mo dcg who came to me two months ago. Mom is young and dad is in the picture. Mom is a friend to my son. Baby is TINY. Mom has stated that doctor has made plenty of statements about baby not gaining weight. When baby first started coming to me mom would send a can of formula with her and I would feed her on demand. Recently mom has been sending formula with only enough in the can for one bottle. It annoyed me but I continued to feed her on demand using the same formula (my grandchildren are on the same so I have a TON of extra). Now mom tells me that she only wants baby to be fed one 4 oz bottle of formula in the AM and one at bedtime and she will administer them. While here (from 6:15 am to 3:30 pm) she is to have juice and baby food only This paired with the overwhelming stench of dog and cat that this baby has on her clothes, blankets and carrier makes my stomach hurt-because I worry the baby might need some intervention, and I'm hoping I'm not right. Someone tell me that I don't need to call CPS. I feel sad Maybe I'm wrong. I am open to input and suggestions
I would call. That is not ok. It would be one thing if she cant afford the formula, but you are providing it at no cost, so why wouldnt she want the baby to fill up at your house and need less at hers? Something is not right
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CCCSNick 12:14 PM 01-17-2017
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I have a 7 mo dcg who came to me two months ago. Mom is young and dad is in the picture. Mom is a friend to my son. Baby is TINY. Mom has stated that doctor has made plenty of statements about baby not gaining weight. When baby first started coming to me mom would send a can of formula with her and I would feed her on demand. Recently mom has been sending formula with only enough in the can for one bottle. It annoyed me but I continued to feed her on demand using the same formula (my grandchildren are on the same so I have a TON of extra). Now mom tells me that she only wants baby to be fed one 4 oz bottle of formula in the AM and one at bedtime and she will administer them. While here (from 6:15 am to 3:30 pm) she is to have juice and baby food only This paired with the overwhelming stench of dog and cat that this baby has on her clothes, blankets and carrier makes my stomach hurt-because I worry the baby might need some intervention, and I'm hoping I'm not right. Someone tell me that I don't need to call CPS. I feel sad Maybe I'm wrong. I am open to input and suggestions
Trust your heart. If you feel like letting CPS know is the right thing, then by all means do so. Stepping in could make a world of difference in that child's life.

I second what another poster said.... CPS will point you in the right direction. Whatever is in the best interest of the child.
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Pestle 01:12 PM 01-17-2017
Call. No doctor would advise a parent to feed an underweight 7mo juice. The baby needs help right now before malnutrition causes even more long-term damage.
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Solandia 01:14 PM 01-17-2017
I would call. I've had two failure to thrive babes(one daycarekid,one foster). In my county, a FTT dx should be automatically Hotlined. But it wasn't for my foster baby for some reason, to his detriment and subsequent permanent injuries. In working with both moms, it was largely mom-induced, but doctors can really only go by what mom reports what is happening.

There are legitimately small kids. There are kids whose can't/won't eat, or their bodies don't process food correctly.

But I termed the daycare mom (even after the dr involved CPS), because she still over control her ds's food to the point I flat out refused. In a non-FTT kid, her demands would be over the top, but not harmful. (No crackers, no seasonings or butter or condiments on food -because that turns real food into nothing better than junk food, wanted her boy to eat food for the teal taste not because of butter/seasonings) she wouldn't allow a cookie or cupcake on birthdays (brought a fat free gluten free carrot cake for his birthday). But I couldn't do it, so off they went.

But calling will give the social worker valuable info, which will likely be passed along to the dr in some way on or off the record, which would only improve the child's health care. Sure, the parents could find other dr & daycare providers...but for as much as cps fails, it can also be the savior.
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Tags:cps, malnourished, underdeveloped
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